Rifle Class Ammo

The Rifleman is planning on taking a rifle class (big surprise, huh?) soon. Tuition has been paid, it's just a matter of buying ammo.  This class will go over close fighting, all the way out to mod range.  And herein lies the problem...

1000 rounds of precision ammo would be costly.  "El cheapo" ammo will not hold good groups at range. Changing between the two in a fast paced class may prove problematic.  What's a Rifleman to do?

The solution will be an ammo that is more accurate than typical 4 MOA "el cheapo" bulk, but not too much more expensive.  A range test would be needed to demonstrate that the ammo is accurate enough. Also, we will look at current cost of purchasing 1000 rounds. 

For this evaluation, 10 rounds were slow fired from 100 yards. The rifle wore an ACOG optic.  Each picture has the resulting group, and the ammo name and weight. 

The Hornady 55 grain FMJBT did well: 1.47" group. This ammo is $26.99 per box currently... which puts it at $591.73 for 1000 rounds.

Frontier 55 grain ammo had surprising accuracy.  Most bulk 55 grain ammo is 3 to 5 MOA.  This ammo shot just under 2 MOA. The price was right, as well: $7.99 per box, which means $441.45 for 1000 rounds. 

Federal American Eagle 50 grain JHP rounds shot very well - 1.5 MOA. They were the most costly at $10.99 per box, which comes to $605.33 for 1000. The only concern with this load is that it would be the most susceptible to wind drift at longer ranges. 

Hornady Black 62 grain ammo costs the same as the Federal American Eagle - $10.99 per box / $605.33 for 1000. It shot much better than most 62 grain ammo: 2.3 MOA compared to normal 62 grain stuff at 4 or 5 MOA. The worst group of today's loads, but far better than most 62 grain offerings. 


In the end, the Rifleman chose the Hornady 55 gr FMJBT. It was consistent,  and has a proven record.  The Frontier ammo is very interesting: essentially a Hornady bullet sitting atop a Lake City 5.56 mm cartridge.  If only it had a proven record.  More tests coming!